The Reddmen - Arsenic Ballads

Tracks

 * 01 - Lunar: First Class
 * 02 - Sometimes, Always, Never
 * 03 - Candy Cigarettes
 * 04 - Edward XIII, X The Owl And Me
 * 05 - Boy Trap
 * 06 - Mascara
 * 07 - P's And Q's
 * 08 - There Goes My Girl
 * 09 - Nameless And Shameless
 * 10 - A Song About A Snow Angel
 * 11 - Purple Pose
 * 12 - Arsenic Ballads

Reviews
REDDMEN, THE: Arsenic Ballads: CD Very poppy, but in the good way because these guys are too good to make it big on the radio. Buzzsaws and whiny-sounding vocals, sort of in line with stuff like the Lillingtons. I liked it. Granted, it didn’t make me want to spend four days in a cave with nothing but this to listen to, but I haven’t gotten tired of it yet, and I really look forward to what these guys are gonna do in the future, and I want to get a hold of their first record, too. Solid stuff from the South Dakota plains. –The Lord Kveldulfr (Not Bad World Industries)

Razorcake

Reddmen’s latest CD energetic, fun

From the first high-energy guitar hook of "Lunar: First Class" to the final chorus of "Arsenic Ballads," the 12 catchy songs on the Reddmen's newest offering were made to be played loud and on repeat. The Reddmen have been rocking Rapid City since 1996. "Arsenic Ballads" is their second full-length CD; "Sons of the Morningstar" came out in 2003, followed by a collection of B-sides titled "Another Tale of the Trippy Counterculture High End Prissy Designers" in 2004. Vocalist J. Waylon Porcupine and his brother, the drummer Miyo One Arrow, along with bassist Trevor Leo recorded "Arsenic Ballads" last winter in a North Rapid basement. It is being released on Not Bad Records, a label based in Denver. The epitome of high-energy lo-fi, the album sounds anything but homemade. Porcupine's lyrics are every bit as hip as the song titles - "Sometimes, Always, Never," "P's and Q's" and "A Song About a Snow Angel" don't disappoint. The most likable song on this eminently likeable album is "Boy Trap," a sassy, fast-paced song about a girl out to get a boy, any boy, through flirting and other means - blowing kisses, Spanish fly in the champagne glass and so on. As the chorus says, "You're always out to set a new boy trap, to see which fool falls in your lap." Hard-rocking guitar is paired with a seductive, hip-rocking drumbeat to make this number a solid favorite. The songs focus primarily on rock 'n' roll and relationships. Love is a frequent topic but not in that morose, even morbid way so many bands choose. A love song by the Reddmen is as bright and brazen as the music itself. "You send me over and out, straight through the clouds and to the moon," Porcupine sings in "Lunar: First Class." And in "There Goes My Girl," he sings, "I don't know who you are, but you just walked away with my heart." Even a broken heart is fun when the Reddmen do it. The songs are all less than three minutes long, and some are shorter than two. It doesn't feel like a rip-off, though; this band packs more pop energy in two minutes than most bands can in five. It's rock 'n' roll, concentrated. Hitting play on this CD is like cracking the seal on a well-shaken cola, releasing an explosion of nostalgia and nicotine, caffeine and candy that you'll be humming along to by the second listen - but you might need to pause it to catch your breath. That unflagging energy can seem a little grating after a while. Even "Candy Cigarettes," a relatively more mellow song, has a chorus guaranteed to pack the mosh pit. "Arsenic Ballads" is a good pick for fans of Teenage Fanclub, Big in Japan, the Strokes and the Ramones. People who left their teen years behind long ago might still dig the Beach Boys-style fun and Stones-style flair of this magnetic trio. Sample tracks are available at www.myspace.com/thereddmen. After a record label release show tonight in Denver, the Reddmen will return to Rapid City to release "Arsenic Ballads" at 7 p.m. Saturday, July 15, at St. Joe Pub. The album seems high-energy - until you see the Reddmen in concert. The vigor and verve of their live performances is unparalleled. The CD will be on sale at the concert for $8. If you miss the Rapid City release show, you can still snag a copy - it will be available for a slightly higher price at Borders and Ernie November in Rapid City and online at www.notbadrecords.com and www.tigersvscrime.com. If you go . Who: The Reddmen, with opening acts B-Side Writer and Ladies Buffet . When: 7 p.m. Saturday, July 15 . Where: St. Joe Pub, 701 St. Joseph St., Rapid City . Admission: $3 all ages Contact Milne at 394-8420, ruth.milne@rapidcityjournal.com or www.myspace.com/rapidcityruth. Rapid City Journal